Tartarus: Percabeth torn
by cjdreams98
Summary: An alternative ending to Mark of Athena, with a LOT of Percabeth. As they dangle over the depths of Tartarus itself, will Percy manage to save Annabeth, or are they both doomed to the deadly one-way trip? Read on to find out... Please Rate, Review and spread the word if you would like to see more!:) xxx Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or the cover image.
1. Chapter 1: Holding on for my life

I was sure I was going to die. Dangling over the depths of Tartarus itself with my shattered ankle in its crude splint weighing me down, I had never been more sure of it - even with Percy clinging to my very fingertips with all his strength. My death, I could stand, but not his.

Percy gasped under his breath as the ledge he was gripping by his nails began to give way under our weight.

"Percy, we're going to fall. There's nothing you can do," I whispered, half-hoping he wouldn't hear, "lets just let go - the doors need to be closed from within, too, remember?" His pale face turned to me with a hopeless expression of defeat, before his sea-green eyes hardened with a sudden resolve that, honestly, scared me a little. I saw his eyes drink in everything from my ratty, once-blonde curls to the fear in my grey eyes before he replied;

"Ok. We'll go together, but first, let me try something." I nodded, though as he closed his eyes a new feeling of nausea opened a further pit in my stomach - I had an uneasy feeling this wouldn't end well.

For a moment, nothing happened, but then I nearly yelled in surprise as I felt deliciously cool water start to seep into my shoes. Looking down, I could see it was glowing with a million golden tones, unlike any liquid I had seen before. As it crept further up my leg, I could feel my strength and courage returning to me, my injuries, incredibly, healing. It felt as though the water was lifting me up.

But wait... It was! I could feel myself begin to drift higher every second, and in panic, I turned to look at Percy.

He looked awful. He was growing paler as I watched, the sickly pallor contrasting with the bruise-like shadows under his dimming eyes. He was shaking violently all over, his shivering muscles betraying the weak smile of forced-calm I knew was there only for my sake. As I watched his chapped lips mouth 'I love you, Annabeth', I knew. He was sacrificing everything in him to save me from hell.

"No!" I screamed soundlessly, struggling as my hand was torn from his.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded, struggling to keep his eyes open enough to see me, "I couldn't let you do this. I promise, I'll see you on the other side, Wise Girl."

By the time my feet had touched the Earth next to Leo's ship, tears were streaming down my quest-worn face and I was shuddering with horrible, heartbroken sobs the like of which I'd never known before. I watched as the last of Percy's strength drained, every last ounce given in sacrifice to me, and he disappeared into the endless darkness.

It took all of Jason and Franks strength, every strongest note of Pipers charm-speak and several of Leo's enchanted chains to stop me jumping into the pit after him. They all tried to convince me that if I did, Percy's efforts would have been in vain, that I would surely die.

I don't care, I thought desperately, let me die! Anything other than this crushing pain would be welcome, even hell itself.

"He said we'd go together!" I screamed at the air, the words hitching in my throat as I choked back more heart-wrenched tears. Never had I felt so inconsolable. Never had I felt so alone, even wrapped in the arms of my five other dearest friends. Nothing came close to losing Percy again.

I was not surprised, then, when my relentless grieving eventually drove me into a deep, dreamless sleep that's usually brought to me only in illness.

I say dreamless - I can't count watching Percy fall into an empty pit again and again as anything other than my darkest nightmare.


	2. Chapter 2: Falling

I knew we were going to die. I knew it in my heart. I knew it by the weakness spreading through me like a disease, knew it by the pain in her grey eyes and by the crushing darkness around us. That's why I saved her.

You see, my Father told me of that special power - he called it the life-saver, and said that I would only be able to use it once in my life, such was the draining effect it had. I don't regret saving her.

What little light there was disappeared with her golden hair and heart-wrenching screams, but I continued to fall.

I wondered how long it would take for me to hit the bottom. Surely, centuries had already passed... Not that I cared. In my weakened state, I became delirious. If I was not out cold, I was picturing Annabeth wrapped up in my arms, face buried into my chest, or hearing her silvery laugh...

Hell was not so bad if she was there.

I wish she could be - but I was not selfish enough to drag her down with me, and for that I'm glad. I need her to be safe, and if that means tearing her away just as I get her back, well... the hole in my chest has to heal sometime, right?

Oh, Gods... All I can see is her look of panic, fear, pain and accusation. Her tortured cries seem to echoes through the pit, one hundred times worse than anything I've ever felt, because _I did that to her_. Not a monster, not Tartarus, not a god, but me. I can never forgive myself.

But I can't give into my pain. I can only shoulder hers and stay strong enough for both of us.

But its so hard... with this darkness pressing around me, the ache and numbness of my entire body... sleep, or even death would be welcome.

But, just as she was when I was burning in the Styx, Annabeth is my chain to the real world, my reason to fight beyond my furthest endurance. I think of her, of seeing her at Deaths door, and I know I can handle anything.

Even this endless fall...

Surely I am getting closer, though? The cries of pain surrounding me seem not to be coming from above, as they were before, but below. A dank musty smell, one I can only describe as of death hits my nose, and I am jolted awake, if not alert and energetic.

But no - I'm still falling.

All of a sudden, an icy sheet washes over me, and I gasp as my skin turns white as snow, my fingertips nearly blue. It feels as though I'm falling through a waterfall of ice, and I nearly scream as the cold burns my skin.

But it's over as suddenly as it began, as the freezing temperature is replaced by a muggy heat. Now, the voices that screamed from below are no longer muffled but clear as if they were coming from me. Any traces of Annabeths yells are gone, and I don't know whether to be relieved that I can't hear her pain or agonised that every sign of her has disappeared.

I'm glad she isn't experiencing this overwhelming pain. Well, no doubt she's missing me, but at least I fixed her ankle and these screams aren't driving her to insanity.

I can sense rather than see the opening when the pit widens into a cavern of some description, so I'm almost prepared for the halt when it comes. As I slam onto a rocky surface, a burning, aching pain shoots up my body, licking my side like flames. I feel at least three ribs and my left wrist shatter. There is a sickening, wet tear and I am horrified to see that my leg is now sporting a long, deep gash - almost the bone in some places. I glance at the jagged rock that must have raked down my shin, and nearly faint at the pool of blood surrounding me. My head feels like it will split open any moment.

I'm not sure exactly why I passed out, but I think the menacing low growl and heavy footsteps beside me must have been too much, and my mind is swallowed by a suffocating darkness.


	3. Chapter 3: Drowning

The thing about sleep, is that during the night, the mind tries to heal itself. I know because when I came to, I turned with a half smile on my face, ready to greet Percy with some joke about how he still drools in his sleep. Only when I noticed the empty bed opposite mine (we now shared a room due to my constant nightmares) did I also register the pit in my stomach and remember what had happened.

When did it get so hard to breath?

But I knew the answer to that - when Percy fell into hell.

Close to tears now, I stood up, gingerly placing my injured foot onto the floor. Except it wasn't injured anymore. Right. Percy.

"Gods, Seaweed brain," I muttered to myself, "why do you have to be such a martyr? I mean, jeez, did you not have enough left in you to save us both -" I froze, remembering with a wince the way his exhausted frame had shaken involuntarily with the effort of rescuing me, the ghostly tone to his skin and the way he suddenly seemed emaciated, when I had seen moments before the cocky smile of the strong, tanned, demigod as he had caught my hand.

No. Definitely nothing left in him.

He gave everything for me, and I had no idea if I would ever see him alive again.

I will, I thought firmly, walking towards the door of our cabin. Out of the blue, a violent tremor shook the room, and I tripped. Sprawled across the ground, It was a while before I noticed the glow emitting from underneath Percy's pillow. Blue light curled in tongues of mist, drifting closer to me. Naturally, I got up and walked towards the light. When I moved the pillow, I felt dry sobs rack my chest.

Nothing more than a photograph. It showed me and Percy, smearing blue birthday cake on each-others noses in his mothers sitting room. I was struck by how young we looked, though it was not long before the war.

I couldn't look any longer, so I turned it over, meaning to put it back. Scrawled across the page in ornate, spiky letters were the words:

_He needs you. Use the pearl._

I recognised the handwriting from instructions I had received whilst redesigning Olympus - none other than Poseidon himself had written this. But what pearl?

Turning over the picture once more, I saw, glistening from my wrist, a delicate siLver bangle, with one blue-tinted pearl fixed in the centre. I was not surprised to see it appear on my wrist, and snapped off the glittering jewel. Turning it over in my hand, I pocketed the photo and began to pace the cabin, wondering how it worked. I was so close to seeing him again! In my desperation, I placed the pearl to my lips and murmured against the cool, smooth surface;

"Please, as long as we're together, take us anywhere!"

The pearl grew hot, searing my skin, and without thinking, I dropped it onto the wooden floor where it smashed. Thin tendrils of mint-green smoke started to sprout from the floor, ensnaring my legs. Within moments, I was utterly hidden within a thin cloud of mist. I couldn't see a thing, so I searched randomly for any way out. As it cleared, I was no less blind. The world around me was black as the deepest ocean reflecting an empty sky.

I tried to call out, but my voice seemed so helplessly weak and feeble that I gave up. Hesitantly, I took a few steps, hands held in front of me for protection. the darkness seemed almost tangible, weighing me down as I crept silently forwards.

Then the ground disappeared from beneath my feet, and I was falling, shuddering as I was plunged into icy water that froze my veins. Powerless against the relentless currents, I was shoved underneath waves of ink black, submerged far beyond my capacity. My thoughts were incoherent as I drowned.


	4. Chapter 4: Saving my love

This is dedicated to halogirl17, the first to review this story:) without you, I doubt I would ever finish it!

Annabeth was near. I could tell as soon as my eyes opened, something I'd gotten pretty used to. I was so desperate to see her that it took a while for me to register the darkness surrounding and suffocating me, the huge flames of pain throbbing up my leg and burrowing deep in my chest.

Right. I forgot about the whole falling-into-Tartarus thing. Whoops.

I tried to stand, eyes straining against the dark. If only there was light... Just a single beam... Like the glow from a celestial bronze weapon.

Ok, so I'd hit my head pretty hard.

It took only a second to find Riptide, lying beside me in the pool of my blood. I felt safer with some means of protection, and tried to take deep breaths to stop the shivers of panic coursing through my body - but even that freaked me out. The breathing was too loud, and seemed to be echoing from each and every direction, as if something was trying to find me... Oh. Now I remembered why I'd passed out in the first place. Footsteps. Growling. Utter fear and pain.

Still, if I listened closely, I could swear the noises were retreating, as if whatever it was had decided I wasn't worth it. For some reason, this scared me even more. I had no idea why - until I realised that it was following the same pull I had felt the second I came to.

Something was after Annabeth.

What a shame there was no way on heaven or earth I was allowing that - no way in hell.

Swallowing back the crushing nausea as pain overwhelmed every part of me, I hauled myself up. My broken ribs burned in protest, each movement a flood of white-hot sparks, but I was finally upright. I set off, thankful that my eyes had adjusted somewhat to the darkness. Well, I wish that were true - more like I limped, using only the thought of my Wise Girl in trouble as a crutch. I had to reach her, even if the gash on my leg still poured with relentless red rivers.

After a minute or two of painful progress, I began to wake up a little, aware of every little thing; there was a river to my lift - narrow, but deep and jagged on banks and bed -, and Annabeth was in it. Every nerve in my body trembled with an immense pressure.

She was so close.

"Where are you?!" I screamed, desperately scanning the river.

"She is mine, young hero," whispered the Earth beneath my feet, "within moments she will drown, and I will claim her."

Furiously, I dug my sword into the ground, right up to the hilt, again and again until all I could hear was the hum of the water. Then I saw her.

White as death, blonde hair a sand storm choking her limp frame, grey eyes as blank as sleet. She was completely still - it was as if she had never moved.

Seeing her like that... I was terrified, and boiling mad. This was unforgivable, unacceptable. With a sudden surge of strength, I plunged into the river and caught her as she was thrown past. Within seconds we were back on dry land, and I cradled my love and best friend in my arms, broken wrist supporting her head without complaint.

"Annabeth?" I murmured uncertainly, anxiously watching her face for signs of life. In response, I heard only the water saturating her lungs. "No. leave. Now!" I commanded it, pouring in every ounce if my emotion as if I could charmspeak and glaring until I saw tendrils of clear liquid seeping from her fingertips.

A gasp - a small breath of alarm as the colour returned to her face. Sobbing with relief, I buried my face in the crook of her neck, my fingers leaving dry streaks as I stroked her wet hair.

"Oh, gods," I whispered, my voice hoarse with relief, "never again... Don't do that..."

"You're cute when you're worried." she replied.

I could practically feel her smirk. Gently, she turned my face to hers. I could read the apology all over her beautiful features, but at the moment I was too ecstatic to ask how she was here. I pulled her to her feet, glad to see that her ankle was now in full working condition - as was I.

That's when I heard the footsteps again - heavy, close, fast. On every side.

Without a word, Annabeth and I stood back to back, weapons drawn.


	5. Chapter 5: Fighting blind

**We never saw what attacked us - we were blind, Percy and I. It wasn't just the darkness - I could sense, just as easily as I had felt Percy's presence before he'd saved me, that whatever it was was manipulating what we saw.**

How could we fight what we could not see?

With extreme difficulty. We dodged every flame the creature spewed, only to back into the iron-grip of an icy claw. Every time we struck with dagger and sword, it would counter with fire and ice.

Lets just say its a good thing my Seaweed Brains head is full of kelp - without him dousing each spark sent my way, I could never shatter any of the blades of ice that were erupting from every surface, leeching every bit of life.

Gods, I loved him- his strength kept me fighting, and every move we made felt like deadly choreography. We were perfect partners, running and jumping and slashing in unspoken harmony.

But still the attacks came, and still the monster kept reforming - and was that the roar of my rushing river I could hear, or yet more marching?

I knew we were dead when the arrows began to rain down. Deadly tips of Stygian iron that blended perfectly with the darkness, so the very air seemed to move with them. We had to get out of here - but I couldn't think straight over the chaos around me. For once, I had no strategy.

"Percy!" I cried in desperation, "We have to go!"

And he knew it, too - his green eyes burned with defeat and frustration, and I could see that his strikes were slower, more labored. Just like Kampe in the labrynth, there was no fighting these things. I reached for his hand, and together we leapt across the river, narrowly avoiding a hail of spears that reeked of acid. As we soared through the air, I met his eyes. For some reason I couldn't explain - perhaps the anxious knot in my stomach - I found myself saying: "I love you,". As we crashed onto the other bank, his face said what he couldn't. I knew.

Shaking with fear, I hastily hauled us up, frantically running away from the furious roars of our pursuers.

We ran for what seemed like hours, until the river had long dried out, though unable to evade completely the assault of weapons, fire and poison. Suddenly, I collapsed as my leg struck an metal bar with a sickening snap. I struck my head on the rocky floor, but Percy quickly scooped me up, shielding me with his body. I was numb as I noticed the faint glint of... a door handle?

We had made it - we were at the doors of death. So close!

But I was so tired...

Unable to hold up my head any longer, my neck bent back and I began to slip from Percy's arms. Even in his exhaustion, he tried to lift me up.

"You're not leaving me," he promised, gazing down at me with a furious kind of passion.

Gods, I loved him...

A weak smile spread across my battered face just as the arrow pierced my chest.


	6. Chapter 6: Dying

**I felt the force of the arrow as if it had struck my body, not hers. It sent me plummeting to the ground and Annabeth was thrown from my arms. The arrows still rained down, forming a barrier between us.**

There were so many!

But one hit was all it took.

Lifting a flattish boulder from beside me, I got to my feet and carefully picked my way towards her, rock raised over my head in protection. She hadn't screamed.

Why didn't she scream?

At last I reached her, and I knelt at the doorway, right next her.

"Annabeth, we made it," I murmured, trying to keep the panic from my voice, "Wise Girl, we're here. Wake up. Wake up!" I was nearly yelling in despair now, my hands urgently trying to bring her back.

I tried not to look at the arrow buried halfway into her chest, tried to ignore the fact that she hadn't made a sound since it first lodged there.

I failed.

All around us, our attackers began to gather in dense crowds, hissing, snarling, growling, you name it. But I could sense that they were holding back. All of a sudden, the deadly storm of weapons died.

It was as if the door scared them. Good. I had far more important things to focus on - like the fact that Annabeth...

She couldn't be. It was completely wrong - she was my other, better half. How could I still be breathing if she wasn't? I refused to believe it.

"Annabeth," I gently turned her face to mine, "Annabeth come back! Please! Oh, Gods, help me! Annabeth! Look at me! Ann..." but my voice was cut short by a strangled cry. My words could not reach her. Her blank silver eyes stared right at me, but did not see. My relentless tears fell onto the face I loved, but could not pierce the pale, marble skin.

I felt my heart wrench into a thousand pieces, and I knew she was gone.

"I told you, little hero," spoke the low, lazy voice of Gaia, "she is mine. You will never see her again." With those words, the Earth began to flow, waves of dirt washing over the body of my best friend, my only love. They tugged her from my iron grasp, and even as I clawed at the ground until my hands were raw and bloody they completely drowned her.

I was left with the bloodstained arrow that had killed us both, knowing I couldn't survive without her.

My tears blinded me.

My angry blood boiled with rage and an unspeakable pain.

She was gone.

An arrow, after everything.

She was gone.

The doors were still open.

She was gone.

As the grief and pain of having my heart torn out finally overwhelmed me, I, Percy Jackson, son of the Earthshaker, let loose a terrible scream of absolute agony. My cry shook the very Earth with misery. My broken heart poured out in gut-wrenching roar of grief that brought everything from the highest mountain to the walls of Tartarus crashing down. Rocks plummeted from the ceiling with a force like bombs, sealing the Doors of Death.

I screamed until they buried me.


End file.
